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Kusaru
Dec 20, 2006


I'm a Bro-ny!
That's where I went. If you're in Metro Detroit, most librarians will have gone to Wayne; the general consensus is 'go to WSU if you want to be a librarian, go to UM if you want to work with databases/information systems/etc.' However, I had to move out of state to get a full time job, there are very few public librarian job openings in Metro Detroit. I found about 5 in 6ish months of looking. One I interviewed for had about 40 applicants and was kinda specific (kids' bookmobile stuff). OTOH, he'll have much more library experience than I had upon graduation, so his chances may be better.

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Toph Bei Fong
Feb 29, 2008
Probation
Can't post for 12 hours!
It's a rewarding job, in many ways, but it's also frustrating as poo poo, and is treated as "that job that the man's wife has to have a little spending money for herself" by most places around the country.

To put it another way, the woman who runs the I Need a Library Job blog put up a posting about how she lost her job, and hasn't looked for a new one: http://inalj.com/?p=78015 last year. A rather telling and sad indictment of the profession.

Check out http://hiringlibrarians.com/ for what people are looking for, even before starting the program. It'll help assess realistically what should be focused on in the program and how to get the experience while in the program, because most places that are hiring look for experience above all else.

VideoTapir
Oct 18, 2005

He'll tire eventually.

GobiasIndustries posted:

My brother is currently working 3 library page jobs and wants to make working in a library a career. Is Wayne State's MLIS program respected? I want to help him out a bit financially and he wants to get an applicable Masters degree (undergrad in Communications) but also want to make sure he's going to a good place.

Will the library for which he currently works for-absolute-sure hire him in a Library Tech or higher position if he gets a degree? If not, this is not a good idea.

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Toph Bei Fong posted:

It's a rewarding job, in many ways, but it's also frustrating as poo poo, and is treated as "that job that the man's wife has to have a little spending money for herself" by most places around the country.

For any other prospective librarians: this isn't a joke. I'm a guy, and I was asked point blank in one job interview why I wanted to work a woman's job.

remigious
May 13, 2009

Destruction comes inevitably :rip:

Hell Gem
Hey guys, I know this is kind of a long shot, but I am currently in my last term at SJSU and I was wondering if anyone has any advice regarding the e-portfolio? I am kind of freaking out about it even though I know that I have already done the work, I just need to sell myself to the committee.

Insane Totoro
Dec 5, 2005

Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!
Drink.

Real answer: what is the committee looking for?

remigious
May 13, 2009

Destruction comes inevitably :rip:

Hell Gem

Insane Totoro posted:

Drink.

Real answer: what is the committee looking for?

Drinking will definitely be A Thing.
I have to prove that through my studies I have met 14 competencies and argue how those competencies will help me succeed in the field. I think the part I am most concerned about is the personal philosophy essay because it will mostly just be puff.
I feel like most of my library science education has been writing and researching about how libraries and librarians will continue to stay relevant in the future. I would have liked a more project-based education that wasn't so defensive about existing.

Insane Totoro
Dec 5, 2005

Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!
Your portfolio should be targeted to what the committee wants to see. If you have some sort of project that applies to each competency, I'd try to figure out a way to make it so that you hit all those points with something. That's really it.

remigious posted:

Drinking will definitely be A Thing.
I have to prove that through my studies I have met 14 competencies and argue how those competencies will help me succeed in the field. I think the part I am most concerned about is the personal philosophy essay because it will mostly just be puff.
I feel like most of my library science education has been writing and researching about how libraries and librarians will continue to stay relevant in the future. I would have liked a more project-based education that wasn't so defensive about existing.

Uh, I have some unfortunate news for you about those last two sentences.

remigious
May 13, 2009

Destruction comes inevitably :rip:

Hell Gem
I don't think it's all so doom and gloom. Obviously the role of librarians is changing, but as long as people need to organize and access information, there will always be jobs for us. I'll just probably never get my dream job of working in a cushy academic library.

Insane Totoro
Dec 5, 2005

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That Totoro has an AR-15!
I meant that LIS education will probably always be in a weird place and you get trained to do some entirely unrelated things to your actual career.

But yes, libraries will still be around, if only as the middleman for licenses and collective purchasing.

Toph Bei Fong
Feb 29, 2008
Probation
Can't post for 12 hours!
In Library School, some of my best teachers were the head of the children's department at the downtown library, one of the first year library instruction librarians, and the head of the college reference department. My worst teachers were a cataloger who hadn't worked in a library in about 10 years, a guy who could only do online classes because of multiple sexual harassment charges, and a teacher so abrasive and defensive that if you called her anything but Doctor she would scream at you for five minutes (I was on a first name basis with many of my other professors (that word was verboten too); she also hasn't worked in any non-library school capacity in 10+ years).

What the latter teachers knew anything about "working" librarianship post-1995 was all theoretical, and the picture they painted of the profession was... Well, everyone copy catalogs. That is the vast majority of cataloging. To pretend otherwise is silly. I original catalog maybe 2 books a year, and no one gives a poo poo if I get information from the colophon, or put in a note saying I got the title from the cover.

Insane Totoro
Dec 5, 2005

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Too long, didn't read. But judging by the length I assume you had MLIS faculty who were near criminally negligent and you were taught things forty years out of date.

Insane Totoro
Dec 5, 2005

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Holy poo poo I really didn't read and I hate it when I'm right. :psyduck:

U-DO Burger
Nov 12, 2007




This thread is depressing.

Chairman Pow!
Apr 23, 2010
Probably late but I just saw the question about Wayne State. We have a lot of people from Wayne at my academic institution, and have interviewed a lot more. It seems like the biggest problem their students and grads have is being unprepared for interviews, and getting little career guidance. So if your brother is very active about getting internships/practicuums then he will be in good shape

Lee Harvey Oswald
Mar 17, 2007

by exmarx
If one gets tired of the library field, how easy/hard is it to parlay several years of experience into a records management type job outside of the field?

Insane Totoro
Dec 5, 2005

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That Totoro has an AR-15!
Job opportunity available:

If you've got STEM subject knowledge and skills in ERM, PM me. :)

Animale
Sep 30, 2009
DC Public Library has some openings for Children's Librarians. Not sure anyone would want any of you to be Children's Librarians but hey, if you want to live in one of the most expensive cities in the country while making $48k-$61k a year then go for it.
http://careers.dc.gov/ts2__JobDetails?jobId=a0K1600000eB2f4EAC&tSource=

Insane Totoro
Dec 5, 2005

Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

Insane Totoro posted:

Job opportunity available:

If you've got STEM subject knowledge and skills in ERM, PM me. :)

Reiterating this message again. :)

berzerker
Aug 18, 2004
"If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all."
Is anyone here an archivist? I just started a job building an archive, but I'm not an archivist, I'm a historian doing this half of my time and teaching history the other half. There are a bunch of things I need to figure out, but don't really know where to look.

Most urgently, the group sending us materials wants to put labels on the back of photographs. Is there such a thing as labels we could adhere to the backs of the photos that won't destroy the photos eventually? I recognize that in the best of all worlds we wouldn't write anything or adhere anything to the pictures, but apparently that non-negotiable.

nesbit37
Dec 12, 2003
Emperor of Rome
(500 BC - 500 AD)

berzerker posted:

Most urgently, the group sending us materials wants to put labels on the back of photographs. Is there such a thing as labels we could adhere to the backs of the photos that won't destroy the photos eventually? I recognize that in the best of all worlds we wouldn't write anything or adhere anything to the pictures, but apparently that non-negotiable.

Archivist here (more like use to be an archivist though I still do archival consulting).

Don't put stickers on the photos. Thats just a bad idea. Even if they don't hurt the photos, the adhesive is just going to dry up and they will all fall off in 50 years and then what was the point. Write on the backs of the photos.

edit: Also, go find a copy of this somewhere: http://saa.archivists.org/store/photographs-archival-care-and-management/337/

Insane Totoro
Dec 5, 2005

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May I suggest..... Lamination?

nesbit37
Dec 12, 2003
Emperor of Rome
(500 BC - 500 AD)
The only thing you could have suggested that is worse than lamination is gluing them into a scrap book and then laminating them.

berzerker
Aug 18, 2004
"If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all."

nesbit37 posted:

Archivist here (more like use to be an archivist though I still do archival consulting).

Don't put stickers on the photos. Thats just a bad idea. Even if they don't hurt the photos, the adhesive is just going to dry up and they will all fall off in 50 years and then what was the point. Write on the backs of the photos.

edit: Also, go find a copy of this somewhere: http://saa.archivists.org/store/photographs-archival-care-and-management/337/

Basically the issue is we're getting these from the government, and lots need stamps that show they're not classified or official-use-only before they can hand them over. So, we need permanent markings. I keep finding things on the Internet saying any ink directly on the back of the photos will seep through eventually, but does that sound like the only option? Is our best bet to just get regular stamps and use acid-free ink? Ideally we wouldn't mark on them, but that's just not possible in this situation, so we want the best possible compromise.

I will look into that book, to go alongside the big-rear end Legal Issues in Archival Management book, and Practical Archives, and a few others, so thanks for the rec. Now I just need to find time to train myself on this stuff.

VideoTapir
Oct 18, 2005

He'll tire eventually.
You could put them in sleeves with labels.

Insane Totoro
Dec 5, 2005

Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

nesbit37 posted:

The only thing you could have suggested that is worse than lamination is gluing them into a scrap book and then laminating them.

That's the joke :(

berzerker
Aug 18, 2004
"If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all."

VideoTapir posted:

You could put them in sleeves with labels.

Doesn't work for declassification markings, unfortunately. They need to be on the document, permanently.

I'm going to recommend using a stamp with archival ink, on the back of a corner of the picture that's least harmful. Maybe not perfect, but we won't get the documents without these markings, they'll just go into an Indiana Jones-style government records vault.

nesbit37
Dec 12, 2003
Emperor of Rome
(500 BC - 500 AD)
Pencil, crayon. I know it isn't permanent per-se but you are right that inks are not the way to go. Archivists use pencil on pretty much anything, and if they complain it could be erased someone could also just cross off any pen markings with another pen.

nesbit37
Dec 12, 2003
Emperor of Rome
(500 BC - 500 AD)

Insane Totoro posted:

That's the joke :(

Sorry, I've heard that as a serious recommendation from librarians, volunteers, etc. so many times that I just can't tell what is sarcasm anymore.

Insane Totoro
Dec 5, 2005

Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

nesbit37 posted:

Sorry, I've heard that as a serious recommendation from librarians, volunteers, etc. so many times that I just can't tell what is sarcasm anymore.

That's also a joke :v:

berzerker
Aug 18, 2004
"If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all."

nesbit37 posted:

Pencil, crayon. I know it isn't permanent per-se but you are right that inks are not the way to go. Archivists use pencil on pretty much anything, and if they complain it could be erased someone could also just cross off any pen markings with another pen.

That's not how the government regs work, though. They need permanent markings on the file, period. I'm being consulted, not making the actual decision.

I'm just going to pretend I was never asked and then was handed files in this condition - not an unusual situation for an archivist to get non-ideal materials, I'm guessing, and then just have to make the most of them.

Anyway, very glad to know I can potentially get answers to questions here. I've tried contracting the SAA and using twitter to reach out to people, but basically never get any response. I'm in a little over my head on this job, having zero archival training aside from having used archives in my own research.

nesbit37
Dec 12, 2003
Emperor of Rome
(500 BC - 500 AD)

berzerker posted:

That's not how the government regs work, though. They need permanent markings on the file, period. I'm being consulted, not making the actual decision.

I'm just going to pretend I was never asked and then was handed files in this condition - not an unusual situation for an archivist to get non-ideal materials, I'm guessing, and then just have to make the most of them.

Anyway, very glad to know I can potentially get answers to questions here. I've tried contracting the SAA and using twitter to reach out to people, but basically never get any response. I'm in a little over my head on this job, having zero archival training aside from having used archives in my own research.

The SAA listserv is where you want to go for those general questions, but be careful, some of the regular posters seem to think its 4chan for archivists and make it a dark and scary place. Don't get them started on the Friday Flowers posts.

You might have better luck with the listserv for the regional archives group. (MARAC in the mid-atlantic, MAC for the midwest, etc.). Where are you?

nesbit37 fucked around with this message at 15:50 on Oct 15, 2015

Insane Totoro
Dec 5, 2005

Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!
Why ARE library listservs so weird?

VideoTapir
Oct 18, 2005

He'll tire eventually.
Is there such a thing as "archival quality ink," or is that just marketing BS?

nesbit37
Dec 12, 2003
Emperor of Rome
(500 BC - 500 AD)
I'm certainly not an expert on that since I am not a conservationist. There are inks that are less likely to bleed through and such, but then again there is also a difference between what is archival to archivists and archival to the general public. I am sure most people think archival ink means an ink that will last for near forever. An archivist would think of it as more an ink that will last more or less forever on a specific medium and not damage that medium.

I would check the conservation center, they might have some specific info on inks but usually what I hear about is preserving and working with iron gall ink and damage inks can do to things, particularly photographs, over time.

http://www.ccaha.org/publications

klockwerk
Jun 30, 2007

dsch
Archives are cool.

Perhaps the thread title should reflect that archivists and aspiring archivists are welcome here too?

berzerker
Aug 18, 2004
"If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all."

nesbit37 posted:

The SAA listserv is where you want to go for those general questions, but be careful, some of the regular posters seem to think its 4chan for archivists and make it a dark and scary place. Don't get them started on the Friday Flowers posts.

You might have better luck with the listserv for the regional archives group. (MARAC in the mid-atlantic, MAC for the midwest, etc.). Where are you?

Pacific Northwest. I've heard tell of the relevant listserv, but never had any idea how one might sign up for it.

nesbit37
Dec 12, 2003
Emperor of Rome
(500 BC - 500 AD)
"West_Arch" is the Western Archivists Listserv, the listserv for the following archival organizations in the Western United States:

Society of California Archivists (SCA)
Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists (CIMA)
Northwest Archivists (NWA)
Rocky Mountain Archivists (RMA)
Society of Southwest Archivists (SSA)
The listserv is intended for official communications of the above organizations and as a means for archivists and other professionals who collect, care for, and provide access to the documentary heritage of the West to share information of common interest, including job openings.

The listserv is also a professional resource for members to query their peers about issues/problems in their day-to-day work.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit https://calmail.berkeley.edu/manage/list/listinfo/west_arch@lists.berkeley.eduor, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to west_arch-request@lists.berkeley.edu

Send west_arch mailing list submissions to west_arch@lists.berkeley.edu

You can reach the person managing the list at west_arch-owner@lists.berkeley.edu

nesbit37
Dec 12, 2003
Emperor of Rome
(500 BC - 500 AD)
I also just noticed that your regional groups acronym is NWA. Archivists apparently have a horrible recognition of acronyms outside of their field. My regional group is the hilariously inappropriate DVAG, which someone a couple years ago proposed be changed to the even worse DVDA.

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Pompadour Diamond
Mar 21, 2013
Okay, so I'm a senior history undergrad,and I'm looking at becoming an archivist.

I'm hoping that I somehow get into UNC Chapel Hill so I can go through their program and get a Concentration in Archives and Record Management. Failing that, my Plan B is to go through USC's online MLIS program.

At the same time, however, I'm really worried that the only way I'll even have a shot at getting a job as an archivist is if I do get into Chapel Hill. Is this anxiety unfounded, or am I really teetering on the line of making a terrible decision my life will not recover from?

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